Long time lurker here. And no, I'm not another alt of 6ix 9ine or whatever lol. I have an interest in geopolitics (am a realist btw) so I'll give my my two cents (got introduced to this forum through r/geopolitics).
I feel that the Chinese leadership have lost touch with a lot of the "hide your strength and bide your time" philosophy from the Deng era. I think the doctrine was done to the point where it was genuinely spineless - but it was effective and smart. Think back to when the US bombed the Chinese Embassy and then killed a Chinese pilot over Hainan and Chinese diplomats did nothing. China had every right to retaliate and seek justice, but they didn't and they did the smart thing and laid low. Imagine if they had done what many Chinese wanted and retaliated. I think China would have caught the ire of the Americans and would have never been invited to the WTO subsequently which allowed for China's tremendous growth and developed into a power that now rivals the US. China bided her time and now because of that, she wields immense strength albeit still second to the US.
This same problem is at the heart of the plethora of disputes between China and a lot of other countries around her. First off, I do believe that negotiating or even ceding territory and claims is simply a non starter given China's immense strength right now. However, I believe it is far more prudent to maintain the claims but do not press hard on them right now. People some times forget that China is getting stronger at an incredible rate. China has the patience to wait. China's hand will only get stronger and it can afford to stall. The main rival is the US. Once the US gets eclipsed, her allies will fall in line to China. China should not get distracted in fights against weaker countries and lose sight of her real enemy. Picking diplomatic spats against neutral countries like Sweden or France through 'Wolf Warrior' diplomacy is counterintuitive even if the criticism of those countries is well justified. A lot of countries have seen their opinions of China deteriorate because of unnecessary Chinese actions. Diplomacy is to progress Chinese interests, not Chinese sentiments.
Finally, I do not believe in democracy or the intelligence of the average person to know what is best for the country. This same principle applies for China. I believe that the Chinese people greatly approve of recent strategies to be far more aggressive and to press their rightful claims and to fight back against diplomatic insults. However, the recent actions by diplomats have run exactly counter to Chinese desires. We're bogged down in spats against insignificant countries that pushes them further onto the lap of the true rival, the United States. Many in China still see outer Manchuria and Outer Mongolia as rightful Chinese clay but such claims were run exactly counter to Chinese interests. Maybe some day, these territories will see their return, but for now, China must act smart.
I feel that the Chinese leadership have lost touch with a lot of the "hide your strength and bide your time" philosophy from the Deng era. I think the doctrine was done to the point where it was genuinely spineless - but it was effective and smart. Think back to when the US bombed the Chinese Embassy and then killed a Chinese pilot over Hainan and Chinese diplomats did nothing. China had every right to retaliate and seek justice, but they didn't and they did the smart thing and laid low. Imagine if they had done what many Chinese wanted and retaliated. I think China would have caught the ire of the Americans and would have never been invited to the WTO subsequently which allowed for China's tremendous growth and developed into a power that now rivals the US. China bided her time and now because of that, she wields immense strength albeit still second to the US.
This same problem is at the heart of the plethora of disputes between China and a lot of other countries around her. First off, I do believe that negotiating or even ceding territory and claims is simply a non starter given China's immense strength right now. However, I believe it is far more prudent to maintain the claims but do not press hard on them right now. People some times forget that China is getting stronger at an incredible rate. China has the patience to wait. China's hand will only get stronger and it can afford to stall. The main rival is the US. Once the US gets eclipsed, her allies will fall in line to China. China should not get distracted in fights against weaker countries and lose sight of her real enemy. Picking diplomatic spats against neutral countries like Sweden or France through 'Wolf Warrior' diplomacy is counterintuitive even if the criticism of those countries is well justified. A lot of countries have seen their opinions of China deteriorate because of unnecessary Chinese actions. Diplomacy is to progress Chinese interests, not Chinese sentiments.
Finally, I do not believe in democracy or the intelligence of the average person to know what is best for the country. This same principle applies for China. I believe that the Chinese people greatly approve of recent strategies to be far more aggressive and to press their rightful claims and to fight back against diplomatic insults. However, the recent actions by diplomats have run exactly counter to Chinese desires. We're bogged down in spats against insignificant countries that pushes them further onto the lap of the true rival, the United States. Many in China still see outer Manchuria and Outer Mongolia as rightful Chinese clay but such claims were run exactly counter to Chinese interests. Maybe some day, these territories will see their return, but for now, China must act smart.
